What’s New

A changing energy world: how resilient are you?

May 4, 2015

Our world is changing before our eyes. In the summer of 2012, India experienced the largest blackout in history, affecting about 670 million people – roughly 10% of the world’s population. In November of 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, considered one of the strongest storms ever to make landfall, tore through the central Philippines, killing nearly 6,000 people and displacing more than 3.6 million. Closer to home, dramatic temperature changes including the record-setting polar vortex and unseasonably warm temperatures followed by frost are significantly damaging Michigan crops, jeopardizing the future of our state’s farmers. We can count on paying more for fuel as well, with the cost for a gallon of gas projected to reach $5.38 in Michigan by 2018. But it’s not all bad news. Emerging technologies and a new outlook on our world can help us be more energy efficient than ever before and expand the use of clean energy.

In this age of extreme weather, dramatically fluctuating fuel prices, and unpredictable power outages, the question is: how resilient are you? Come see Clean Energy Coalition’s founder and executive director, Sean Reed, as he delivers a presentation on practical lessons he has learned on resilience and the smart energy decisions we can make in both our personal and private lives. As Sean will explain, the time is right to seize this opportunity. We can take control of our energy future, but we must act now.

Incentives Available for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

April 1, 2015

Through the Michigan Energy Office’s Electric Vehicle Charging Station Project, $20,000 in incentive funding is available to Michigan small businesses, municipalities, or not-for-profit organizations considering electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Four workshops will be held throughout the State to cover the process for applying for charging infrastructure and installation incentive funds. Presenters will discuss:

how to estimate EVcharging demands,

the process of citing and installing a station,

financing options, and

the requirements to apply for the available funding.

In order to be eligible to apply for funding, your organization must attend one of the four workshops.

Click here to listen to project associate Heather Croteau talk about the program on WJR’s Powering Michigan’s Future!

Kalamazoo

Low-Interest Financing Available for Energy Efficiency Projects in Rental Housing

March 31, 2015

Prepare your properties for Michigan’s long, cold winters by making energy efficient upgrades that will save you money and make your tenants more comfortable. Investments in energy efficiency not only reduce your maintenance costs, but they also improve the marketability of your properties by attracting and keeping tenants.

ArborBike is Back!

March 19, 2015

What better way to celebrate the first day of spring than by riding around town or running your errands on an ArborBike?

Stations will go live Friday, March 20, 2015 and remain active until late fall 2015. There are currently 6 active stations around the University of Michigan campus and downtown at the Ann Arbor District Library with a total of 45 bikes available for use.

Anyone interested in becoming an ArborBike member can visit arborbike.org. Memberships are available as a day-pass, month-pass, or annual pass. ArborBike members can checkout a bike at any station and ride, free of usage fees, for up to 60 minutes. At the end of the 60-minute period, users must return to a kiosk. If desired, users can then immediately check a bike back out and continue riding. Additional user fees are only incurred on rides over 60 minutes in length. As a bike share system, ArborBike is meant to encourage short trips in and around the downtown and campus areas.

The 2014 ArborBike season closed with 293 users and 690 trips taken over the 2 months that the bikes were available. The 2015 season is expected to see a dramatic increase in ridership, due to the extended length of the season and a scheduled expansion early summer 2015.

Eight additional stations are scheduled to launch throughout downtown Ann Arbor at the end of May 2015 with a ribbon-cutting event in early June 2015. The installation of these remaining stations will bring the station count to 14 and the available bikes to 125. To check out the locations of the stations, visit arborbike.org/map.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Unveils Updated Fleet

October 14, 2014

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) recently celebrated the successful implementation of a Clean Cities National Parks Initiative project, unveiling a fleet of new electric and propane vehicles. All six vehicles are helping the park to continue its “greening” efforts. The accomplishments were celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony, attended by Clean Energy Coalition.

With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and technical assistance from Clean Energy Coalition, the National Lakeshore implemented a range of measures to reduce the environmental impact of its fleet. Specifically, the National Lakeshore was able to:

Replace aging fleet vehicles with three new plug-in electric vehicles and three propane pickup trucks.

Transition the vehicle fleet into a shared-resource motor pool structure.

Provide “eco-driver” training to all employees.

As a result of the initiative, the park was able to reduce its fleet vehicle emissions by nearly 20 percent and promote the benefits of alternative fuels and fuel-efficient driving habits with its more than 1.3 million annual visitors.

The ribbon-cutting event included remarks from National Lakeshore staff, Clean Energy Coalition staff, and elected officials. Event guests had the opportunity to view the new vehicles and charging station in the visitor center parking lot.

This change comes after several years of working with Clean Energy Coalition to help the park reduce its carbon footprint. The park hopes the move will inspire visitors to do their part to reduce their emissions both at the park and at home.

Question of the Month

October 14, 2014

Question of the Month: What are the new credit allocations that were established under the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE)’s Alternative Fuel Transportation Program (Program) earlier this year? How can I help spread the word on these new Energy Policy Act (EPAct) compliance pathways?

Answer: DOE issued a final rule on March 21, 2014, that establishes credit levels for additional means by which covered state and alternative fuel provider fleets operating under the Program’s Standard Compliance option may earn credits. These credits may be used toward compliance with a fleet’s alternative fuel vehicle (AFV) acquisition requirements. DOE promulgated the rule pursuant Congress’ direction, set forth in Section 133 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

Vehicles

The new credit allocations address the acquisition of various types of electric drive vehicles and allow covered fleets to earn credits under Standard Compliance for some vehicles that do not meet the EPAct 1992 definition of an AFV. Newly eligible vehicles include the following (with their credit allocations):

Certain hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) – one-half credit

Plug-in electric vehicles – one-half credit

Fuel cell electric vehicles – one-half credit

Neighborhood electric vehicles – one-fourth credit

Medium- and heavy-duty HEVs are also eligible for one-half credit after a fleet has met its light-duty AFV acquisition requirements.

Infrastructure

Acquiring the electric drive vehicles noted above is not the only new way to earn credits under EPAct Standard Compliance. Fleets may now earn credits for investments of their own funds (not grant funds or other monetary awards) in qualified alternative fuel infrastructure. For every $25,000 invested, a covered fleet may earn one credit, with a limit of five credits available per fleet per model year for private infrastructure investment, and ten credits per fleet per model year for public infrastructure investment.

Other Investments

Fleets may also earn credits for investments in alternative fuel non-road equipment and/or emerging technologies associated with the Section 133-identified vehicles. The credits for non-road equipment are similar to infrastructure – one credit for every $25,000 invested and a maximum of five credits may be earned per fleet per model year. Emerging technologies investments will earn a covered fleet two credits for the initial investment of $50,000 and one credit for every $25,000 invested thereafter, with a limit of five credits per fleet per model year.

Fleets may begin taking advantage of these new credit allocations for their efforts undertaken in model year 2014 and future model years.

How Can You Spread the Word?

Are you aware of any covered utility or state fleets that are building new fueling infrastructure?

Inform them they can earn EPAct credits.

Do you have an EPAct covered fleet stakeholder that needs an extra push to buy or lease HEVs?

Let them know that certain HEVs are now eligible for EPAct credits.

Do you or your stakeholders have questions regarding EPAct compliance?

ArborBike officially launches in Ann Arbor

October 14, 2014

Clean Energy Coalition is excited to announce that ArborBike, Ann Arbor’s bike share program, is now live with six active locations. For a complete station list, visit ArborBike.org.

ArborBike will help residents, students, commuters, and visitors in Ann Arbor get around the area. The highly anticipated program went live Thursday, September 25th with the roll out of 40+ bikes. It’s clear that the program is in high demand; over 145 memberships have already been purchased and 210 trips have been taken.

ArborBike offers users several membership options including a daily pass ($6), monthly access ($9.99), and an annual membership ($65). Once registered, members can checkout a bike, ride, and return the bike to any of the stations. Memberships can be purchased online at ArborBike.org or at any of the kiosk locations. The current stations will be open through the fall and into early winter, weather permitting.

Currently, 40+ bikes and 6 kiosks are installed. A full deployment of all 14 locations and 125 bikes will take place in April 2015.

Thank you to our sponsors for making this launch a success! ArborBike sponsors include:

Additionally, we would like to thank our 53 volunteers who came out at the end of August to assemble 44 bikes. Volunteers included community organizations such as Programs to Educate All Cyclists (PEAC), the Washtenaw Biking and Walking Coalition, and Circle K, a Kiwanis-affiliated volunteer student organization at the University of Michigan. This remarkable display of support was a clear sign that the community is interested and supportive of the program.

Clean Energy Coalition manages and operates the ArborBike program. If you have any questions regarding the program or how to sign-up, please email info@ArborBike.org.

Making the Case for Clean Fuels

October 14, 2014

Above: Chris Milani, Vice President of Operations and Logistics at Schupan & Sons Inc., speaking at the event on September 10 on the importance of legislative support for clean fuels.

On September 10, Clean Energy Coalition hosted its second annual clean fuel policy luncheon in Lansing. The event focused on creating a climate of political support for clean fuels and advanced vehicle technologies. Speakers from Clean Energy Coalition, Schupan & Sons Inc., and the City of Auburn Hills were joined by industry experts and advocates to discuss the importance of supporting this growing, domestically-supportive market through legislation. The event was part of Clean Energy Coalition’s on-going Michigan Fuel Forward project, which aims to identify and eliminate common barriers to the use of clean fuels. Over 70 legislators and staff attended what turned out to be an overwhelmingly successful event.

Chris Kolb of the Michigan Environmental Council kicked off the meeting, with welcoming remarks coming shortly thereafter from Senator Kowall and Representative Driskell. Josh Rego of Clean Energy Coalition then took the stage, discussing trends in the clean fuel vehicle market, including the anticipated 524% rise in clean fuel vehicles on the road and the broad economic impact of supporting the deployment of these technologies in Michigan. Allison Skinner, also with Clean Energy Coalition, discussed a report recently released by the organization titled “Alternative Fuels: A State Policy Analysis”. The report outlines the piecemeal approach to alternative fuel policies being used by states across the country, identifies which policies tend to be associated with higher rates of clean vehicle use, and highlights the extensive work that needs to be done by Midwestern states to catch up to the support being shown in other states. Anchoring the event was Chris Milani with Schupan & Sons, Inc. Mr. Milani described the benefit of clean fuels in their ongoing fleet operations, and the role federal policies played in allowing them to pursue clean, domestically-produced fuels.

The event was followed by a panel discussion, where speakers were joined by Ron Melchert, Director of Public Works at the City of Auburn Hills to answer questions from legislators and staff. The event was also covered by WILX in Lansing in this news segment. From here, Clean Energy Coalition will continue to work with legislators and other key organizations to create political support for clean fuels here in Michigan.

For more information on clean fuels or clean fuel policy, please contact:

They Did It! A Climate Ride Success

October 14, 2014

They did it! Clean Energy Coalition’s team of four crossed the finish line on September 9th after riding their bicycles for four days and 300 miles from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Chicago, Illinois as part of a multi-day charitable bicycling event called Climate Ride. Not only did these individuals put in countless training hours this past summer in preparation, but they also fundraised a total of $13,831 from 224 donations for Clean Energy Coalition, a beneficiary of the event.

While bicycling 10+ hours each day, our riders were able to enjoy the amazing scenery and unique gems the Midwest has to offer. They also had the chance to network with 110+ leaders and activists in the field as well as hear from expert speakers each night on topics ranging from sustainable food choice, the health of the Great Lakes, and Chicago petcoke. With so many amazing experiences to choose from, we wanted to know what their favorite part was. Here’s what we found out:

“The inspiring people I met on the ride and their causes.” – Rebecca Filbey, Program Supervisor at Clean Energy Coalition, recalls some of the individual people who left a mark on her during the ride. “There was Kyle from Chicago, a bicycle commuter and advocate, as well as Rachel, a graphic designer who works for Adventure Cycling Association in Montana. Rachel had an inspiring personal story about how cycling transformed her mom’s life and she even wrote a fun piece after the ride on how she is impressed with the Midwest. Dick also had a great story about how he turned his retirement plan into a climate advocacy campaign. It was amazing to be around this group for four days and hear so many unique stories. ”

“Fascinating discussions during the Climate Ride Café” – Nicole Ver Kuilen, Proposal Coordinator, says her favorite part was the evening program on Night 2, called the Climate Ride Cafe. “There were eight tables with different topics facilitated by a rider-expert to generate new ideas and discussion. From Who Killed the Electric Car to Bicycle Friendly Communities as well as Food Farms and Climate Change, conversations and ideas were shared that really made me think differently about my work.”

“The Midwest’s unique gems” – Bonnie Bona, Project Manager, recalls touring through Michigan wine country, countless lighthouses, and breathtaking views of farms and the Chicago skyline. “We had nightly bonfires – even on the beach of Lake Michigan – and took dips in the lake to cool off. With ice cream stops and fantastic breweries packed into the agenda, the Climate Ride organizing team did a fantastic job laying out all the stops and making it an incredibly meaningful experience.”

“Texts, tweets, and calls from my supporters.” – Heather Croteau, Clean Cities Intern and ArborBike Technician, loved the many forms of communication she received on the ride from her supporters. “I enjoyed posting pictures online and hearing various ‘Go Heather, Go!’ chants in return. Those kind words got me up some of the tough hills and through the fourth day. I truly appreciate the support my friends and family gave me.”

Overall, the riders couldn’t stress enough the impact of their Climate Ride experience. When asked if they would do Climate Ride again, we heard “in a heartbeat.” Since Climate Ride offers multiple trips – California North Coast, NYC-DC, in addition to the Midwest ride – we may just see these riders in another part of the country.